Strand handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

STRAND HANDLING APPARATUS INCLUDING A SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A CYCLING TENDER WHICH SCANS AND SERVICES BOBBIN WINDING STATIONS ON A SPINNING OR TWISTING MACHINE, OR THE LIKE. THE CONTROL SYSTEM PROVIDES A SIGNAL INDICATING WHEN A STATION BEING SCANNED IS OPERATIONAL AND A SERVICE SIGNAL WHEN THE STATION REQUIRES SERVICING UPON RECEIPT OF BOTH OF THESE SIGNALS THE CONTROL SYSTEM INITIATES A WORK CYCLE OF THE TENDER TO SERVICE THE STATION. THE SERVICE SIGNAL IS PROVIDED EITHER WHEN THE BOBBIN AT THE SCANNED STATION IS READY TO BE DOFFED OR WHEN THERE IS AN INTERRUPTION IN THE ADVANCING STRAND TO THE BOBBIN. IF THERE ARE MORE THAN A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF SUCH INTERRUPTION SIGNALS DURING A CYCLE, THIS SIGNAL IS RENDERED INEFFECTIVE BY THE CONTROL SYSTEM TO CAUSE SERVICING OF THE STATION. IF A ROLL-WRAP OCCURS ON A DRAFTING ROLL, AN INDICATOR WHICH COOPERATES IN PROVIDING THE OPERATIONAL SIGNAL IS MOVED TO A NON-OPERATIONAL POSITION SO THAT THIS SIGNAL IS NOT PROVIDED AND THEREAFTER THE TENDER BY-PASSES ONLY THE PARTICULAR STATION UNTIL THE STATION IS AGAIN PLACED IN OPERATIONAL CONDITION, AS BY AN ATTENDANT. WHEN THE INDICATOR IS MOVED TO ITS NON-OPERATIONAL POSITION IT CAUSES THE STRAND TO BE BROKEN PRIOR TO ENTERING DRAFTING ROLLS OF THE STATION.

Dec. 14, 1971 w. R. WHITNEY 3,626,680

STRAND HANDLING APPARATUS Filed D60. 15, 1969 INVENTOR WILLIAM R.WHITNEY United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Strand handlingapparatus including a system for controlling a cycling tender whichscans and services bobbin winding stations on a spinning or twistingmachine, or the like. The control system provides a signal indicatingwhen a station being scanned is operational and a service signal whenthe station requires servicing. Upon receipt of both of these signalsthe control system initiates a work cycle of the tender to service thestation. The service signal is provided either when the bobbin at thescanned station is ready to be dotted or when there is an interruptionin the advancing strand to the bobbin. If there are more than apredetermined number of such interruption signals during a cycle, thissignal is rendered ineffective by the control system to cause servicingof the station. If a roll-wrap occurs on a drafting roll, an indicatorwhich cooperates in providing the operational signal is moved to anon-operational position so that this signal is not provided andthereafter the tender by-passes only the particular station until thestation is again placed in operational condition, as by an attendant.When the indicator is moved to its non-operational position it causesthe strand to be broken prior to entering drafting rolls of the station.

This invention relates to winding apparatus and, more particularly, tosuch apparatus for servicing a winding, spinning or twisting machine, orthe like.

As used herein the terms bobbin and package means the product of awinder, spinner or twister or other strand handling machine, wound sothat it may be moved from place to place. The term yarn is employed in ageneral sense to apply to all kinds of strand material, either textileor otherwise.

Automatic operation of a spinning or twisting machine is disclosed in aLeesona Corporation patent U.S. 3,403,866 which, in part, is directed toa servicing tender for patrolling and scanning a series of bobbinwinding stations of the machine. The tender includes a control systemfor initiating servicing any station requiring attention. Moreparticularly, the tender stops at a station to doff a full bobbin and todon an empty bobbin core and initiate Winding on the core, or in theevent of disruption of the advancing strand of yarn to the bobbin, thetender removes the partially filled bobbin and dons an empty core andthen initiates winding of the strand. In the event that the tender isunable to adequately service the station, the station is renderednon-operational and thereafter the tender lay-passes the station untilan attendant manually services the station and again places it inoperational condition. Other related features are disclosed in aco-pending Leesona Corporation U.S. patent application, S.N.1748,412,filed July 29, 1968, now Pat. No. 3,498,039.

The invention, in brief, is directed to apparatus for servicing awinding, spinning, or twisting machine, or the like. A control systeminitiates a work cycle of a tender responsive to a signal at any of aplurality of stations for indicating that the station is operational,and another signal for indicating the station requires servicing. If thetender is unable to adequately service 3,526,680 Patented Dec. 14, 1971the station, as in the event of a roll-wrap, for example, itautomatically renders the station inoperative, as by operating a rovingbreaker upstream of drafting rolls of the station, for example. In itsnormal position the roving breaker serves as the indicator for theoperational signal and when in its roving breaking position theoperational signal is not provided. The servicing signal may be either asignal indicating interruption of the yarn advancing to the bobbin, or asignal indicating a full bobbin, for example. If too many interruptionsignals occur during a cycle of the tender, the control system rendersthis signal ineffective for controlling the tender.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improvedstrand handling apparatus.

A further object is provision of apparatus for detecting a roll wrap.

Another object is provision of a new and improved strand handlingapparatus including a control system for a patrolling tender of awinding, spinning or twisting machine, or the like, and, moreparticularly, provision forby-passing a station which is notoperational, and for by-passing any stations which cause a signalindicating an interruption in their strands when more than apredetermined member of such signals are received from any of thestations during a given period. A related object is provision forassuring discontinuance of advance of the strand if the tender is unableto adequately service the station. Still another related object isprovision for detecting a roll-Wrap.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, schematic plan view of a spinning machineincorporating a preferred embodiment of control and servicing apparatus,with parts removed and broken away for clearer illustration;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, schematic elevational view taken generallyalong the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG..3 is a fragmentary schematic elevational view of a modification ofa portion of FIG. 2; and

FIG.:4 is an electrical diagram of a control system for the apparatus.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a spinning frame 10 includes a base12 on which a series of spindles 14 are suitably journalled and rotated,one at each of a plurality of stations 16. Each spindle 14 removablymounts a bobbin core telescoped on the spindle and on which a strand ofyarn is wound to form a package such as a bobbin 18.

As is more fully discussed in the aforementioned patent U.S. 3,403,866,in order to scan the bobbins 1'8 and to service stations 16 requiringattention, a pair of parallel tracks 20 are mounted on the base 12 andreceive wheels 22 of a tender in the form of a carriage 24 mounted totraverse back and forth on the tracks past the stations 16. The carriageWheels 22 are suitably journalled on a carriage body 26 and, moreparticularly, a pair of these wheels 22 at the right end of the carriagebody 26 are fixedly mounted on a shaft 28 received in journals 30 on thecarriage body. This shaft 2 8- has fixed thereto a driven pulley wheel32 connected by a timing belt 34 with a drive pulley wheel 36 of asuitable reversible air motor 38 mounted on the carriage body 26. As thecarriage 24 moves toward the right end of its tracks 20, a pivotedactuator 40 of a switch 42 mounted on the carriage body 26 engages anabutment 44 on the base 12 to reverse the position of the switchactuator 40 and thereby the direction of the carriage 24, and at theleft end of the tracks 20 the actuator 40 engages another abutment 46 toagain reverse the carriage. The switch 42 has a contact 421 (FIG. 4)connected in circuit with a four-way solenoid valve 48 so that when theswitch actuator engages one of the abutments, the solenoid valve isenergized to reverse operation of the motor 3 8, and when the switchactuator engages the other of the abutments, the solenoid valve is takenout of the electric circuit to again reverse the direction of operationof the air motor, thus causing the carriage 24 to traverse to and fropast the bobbins 18 being wound at the stations 16.

During normal operation of the machine, roving Y (FIG. 2) advancesdownwardly through a trumpet guide 50 and a set of drafting rolls 52,then past an inlet in a vacuum duct 54 for receiving and removing yarnin the event of yarn breakage downstream of the drafting rolls, and thenthrough a lower yarn guide 56 centered above the bobbin 18 and therotating spindle 14, and from the lower guide 56 through a traveller '58on a ring 60 encircling the bob-bin 18 and mounted on a ring rail 62(not shown in FIG. 1) which moves up and down as the yarn advances fromthe traveller and is wound onto the bobbin. The parts 50-62 are allsuitably mounted on the base 12.

If the station 16 is in operation condition, an indicator in the form ofa roving breaker 64 is in an operational position as indicated by thesolid lines in FIG. 2. The roving breaker 64 is pivoted at its lower endto a suitable fixed support '66 of the machine and carries suitablemeans, such as a plurality of pins 68, for engaging the roving Y abovethe trumpet guide 50 when the roving breaker 64 is pivoted to a positionagainst a frame member 70 as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 2.Movement of the roving breaker 64- from its operational to itsnon-operational position may be effected in any suitable manner, and asillustrated in FIG. 2 is effected by opening a solenoid shut-off valve72 (FIGS. 2 and 4) to project a jet of air from a tube 74 fixed on thecarriage body 26 and aligned with the roving breaker in its operationalposition, with the carriage in its servicing position at a station.Opening of the valve 72 may be controlled in any desired manner, forexample by a suitable signal as disclosed in the aforementioned patentU.S. 3,403,866, or as described with reference to the control system ofFIG. 4.

As the carriage 24 is moving past a station 16, an operational signal isprovided by a suitable photo-electric cell 76 fixedly mounted on thecarriage body 26 and energized by a ray of light 7 8 originating from asuitable lamp 80 fixed on the carriage body and reflected off of theroving breaker 64 when the roving breaker is in its operational positionas shown by solid lines in FIG. 2. This signal, combined with aservicing signal starts the work cycle of the carriage 24. The servicingsignal may be provided by energization of a second photo cell 82 fixedon the carriage body 26 and receiving a ray of light 84 from a lamp 86fixed on the carriage body and reflected off of the yarn Y at a pointbetween the drafting rolls 52 and the lower yarn guide -6 to provide astrand interruption signal, or by a full bobbin signal from a pair ofphoto-electric cells 88 (FIGS. 1 and 2) fixed to the carriage body 26and each receiving through a lens 90 different rays 92, one reflectedoff opposite sides of the yarn on a full bobbin 18. The rays 92 areprovided one by each of two lamps 94 fixed to the carriage body. Theforegoing is more fully described in a co-pending Leesona Corporationpatent application by William R. Whitney, Ser. No. 671,918, filed Sept.15, 1967, for a Full Package Signalling Device," and all of the photocells and lamps herein disclosed may be of the type referred to therein.

If during a cycle of .the carriage 24 in one direction past thestations, an excess number of interruption signals occur, this signal istemporarily eliminated from the control circuit so that the canriage 2-4will not stop to service stations under this circumstance, as will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 4.

In the event that the yarn is broken it may wrap around a bottom roll 96of the drafting rolls 52 to form a rollwrap which if permitted to buildto a large diameter could damage or jam the equipment. It is thereforedesirable to break the roving by operating the roving breaker 64 fromits operational position to its non-operational position (phantom lines,FIG. 2). In order to detect a roll-wrap, a photo-electric cell 98receives a ray of light 100 projected from a lamp 102 and reflected fromthe roll 96 to the photoelectric cell 98. The cell 98 and the lamp 102are mounted on the carriage. The roll 96 preferably has a dark surfacecolor to contrast with relatively light yarn Y so that should the yarnwrap about the roll the intensity of the light reflected from the yarnto the photo-electric cell 98 will be increased to activate the cell andthereby initiate a roll-wrap signal for operating the solenoid valve 72and thereby the roving breaker 64, as will be further described withreference to the control circuit (FIG. 4).

Referring to FIG. 3, the roll wrap signal may be provided by a photoelectric cell 98 receiving a ray of light 100' from a lamp 102 andreflected to the photo cell only from a roll-wrap. To this end, thephoto electric cell 98' and the lamp 102' are aimed generallytangentially adjacent the cylindrical periphery of the roll 96 so thatthe rays 100 are reflected from the lamp to the photo electric cell onlyas the diameter of a roll-wrap increases.

Referring to FIG. 4, the operational signal photo cell 76 is connectedthrough an amplifier 1A with a relay IR and upon energization of thisphoto cell a normally open contact 1R1 of this relay closes. If theroving breaker 64 is in its non-operational position, as shown by dottedlines in FIG. 2, the operational signal photo cell 76 is not energizedand the relay contact 1R1 remains open. In the event that the yarn Y isadvancing properly to the bobbin 18, the photo cell 82 for providing theinterrupted or broken yarn servicing signal is energized and through anamplifier 2A and energizes a relay 2R which thereupon opens its normallyclosed contact 2R1, which is in series with the contact 1R1. In theevent that the bobbin 18 is full, the pair of photo cells 88 aresimultaneously energized and through an amplifier 3A energize a relay 3Rwhich thereupon closes its normally open contact 3R1 which is in serieswith the contact 1R1 and in parallel with the contact 2R1. Upon theoccurrence of a roll-Wrap, the photo electric cell 98 (or 98) isactivated and its signal is amplified by an amplifier 4A and actuates arelay 4R to close its contact 4R1 series with the contact 1R1 and inparallel with the contacts 2R1 and 3R1. Now, if the contact 1R1 isclosed and one or more of the contacts 2R1, 3R1 or 4R1 are also closed,a starting signal is provided to a control unit 104 of the carriage 24causing the carriage to stop at the station 16 requiring service and toproceed with servicing of the station, as described in the previouslymentioned patent U.S. 3,403,866. Otherwise, the carriage continues itspatrolling operation and by-passes the station. Also, upon actuation ofthe relay 4R its normally open contact 4R2 also closes to actuate aterminal delay relay 5TR which closes its normally open contact 5TR1 toprovide a holding circuit for the relay STR, and to actuate the normallyclosed solenoid valve 72 whereupon the jet of air is projected from thetube 74 to pivot the roving breaker 64 from its operational position(solid lines FIG. 2) to its non-operational position (phantom lines), tobreak the roving Y.

As previously mentioned, the control circuit functions to take theinterruption signal from the photoelectric cell 82 out of circuit in theevent that more than a predetermined number of such signals are providedduring a given period, herein a cycle of the carriage 24 in onedirection past the stations 16. To this end, a counter C (FIG. 4) isprovided in series with the normally closed contact 2R1. The counter maybe of any suitable type, for example a Guardian stepping relay MER-12VBC, manufactured by Guardian Manufacturing Company, 1550 W. Carol Ave,Chicago, 111. Such a stepping relay is also provided with a reset. Asindicated in FIG. 4, when the strand is broken so that the photoelectriccell 82 is not activated, the normally closed contact 2R1 remains closedand if the station is operational the contact l-Rl will close, therebystopping the carriage by actuating the control unit 104 and alsoproviding a pulse to the counter. :If the predetermined number of strandinterruption signals are provided during a cycle, the counter closes itsnormally open contact C1 in series with the strand interruption relay2R, thus keeping this relay in circuit so that its normally closedcontact 2R1 remains open and the strand interruption signal from thephoto cell 82 does not operate to stop the carriage 24. 'By adjustingthe counter, the predetermined number of pulses which will cause itscontact C1 to close may be set at any given number. Once the counter Chas closed its contact C1, the contact remains closed until the counteris reset. If the predetermined number of interruption signals are notreceived during a cycle, upon engagement of the actuator 40 of theswitch 42 to reverse the direction of the carriage by operating theswitch contact 42-1, an instant opening contact 42-2 of the switch 42closes momentarily to provide a reset pulse to the counter C therebyresetting the counter back to zero for again counting the number ofinterruption signals during the next cycle. However, the counter is notnecessarily automatically reset if its contact C1 has closed.Optionally, a relay 6R may be provided in series With the contact C1 tobe actuated by closing of the contact C1 to open its normally closedcontact 6R1 in series with the instant opening contact 42-2, so that areset pulse is not provided to the counter C.

While this invention has been described with reference to particularembodiments in a particular environment, various changes may be apparentto one skilled in the art and the invention is therefore not to belimited to such embodiments or environment except as set forth in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Strand handling apparatus comprising, means including a roll foradvancing a strand, said roll and said strand having different lightreflecting characteristics, and photoresponsive means for receivingreflected light from said roll and from said strand when wrapped aboutsaid roll, said photoresponsive means being operable to produce a signalwhen light reflected from said strand wrapped about said roll isreceived.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including means operable inresponse to said signal to terminate wrapping of the strand about theroll.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the photoresponsive meansis directed generally tangentially to the roll periphery.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means terminatingwrapping of the strand on the roll includes means operable to sever thestrand, and means responsive to said signal for operating the severingmeans.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including a plurality of stationseach having one said roll, means for producing a second signal when anyof said stations require servicing, and means for rendering said secondsignal producing means inoperative when a given number of said secondsignals occur within a given period.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said second signalproducing means includes means for sequentially scanning each saidstations.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said scanning meansincludes a movable unit, and means for moving said unit past saidstations.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 including separate strand severingmeans for each of said stations, each strand severing means beingoperable in response to said signal to terminate wrapping of the strandabout the roll associated with said station.

9. Strand handling apparatus comprising a plurality of strand handlingstations, means including a roll for advancing a separate strand at eachstation, each said roll having different light reflectivecharacteristics from the strand being advanced thereby, movablephotoresponsive means for patrolling past each said roll and strand andbeing operable to receive reflected light from each said roll and fromthe strand associated therewith when the strand is wrapped about theroll, said photoresponsive means being operable to produce a signal Whenlight reflected from any said strand wrapped about its associated rollis received.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 including means operable inresponse to said signal to terminate wrapping of any strand about itsassociated roll.

.11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said means forterminating wrapping of said strand on said roll including means forsevering said advancing strand.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 803,062 10/1905 King 57-861,635,693 7/1927 Scott l9.26 2,734,335 2/1956 Saunders et al 57862,813,309 11/1957- West et a1. l9.26 3,099,829 7/1963 Namenyi-Katz 57-81X 3,128,590 4/1964 Escursell-Prat 5734 3,158,852 11/1964 Schacher 5781 X3,169,716 2/1965 Furst 24236 3,430,426 3/1969 Bryan, Jr. et al 57343,498,039 3/1970 Kent et al. 5786X STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary ExaminerW. H. SCHROEDER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

